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1
WELCOME
To the fifth edition of Cheeseweb Monthly
Welcome to yet another issue of Cheeseweb edition. It still includes reviews of the two latest
Monthly. This free online magazine hopes to Games-Workshop supplements, and an article
increase your gaming enjoyment, as well as being a expansion to Phoenix’s Rohan Army Building. It
nice read. also includes the stats for Tarannor. Many more
articles can be found in the main edition, I have to
This is the compressed issue; it only has a fraction apologise for the size of this one.
of the articles, due to the immense size of the main
Aratheking
Aratheking, Head Editor
Credits: This magazine is completely unofficial and is in no
Cover: Captain Althamus way endorsed by Games-Workshop. Pictures are
Head Editor: Aratheking taken from Games-Workshop without permission.
Proof Reader/Overseer: DaeTirion (Admin) Content may not be used without permission
Chief Overseer/Proof Reader: Elegost (Head Admin)
Cheeseweb Monthly is hosted by Freewebs @ http://www.freewebs.com/cwmonthly/
It is written, for the most part, by members of the Cheeseweb Forum @
http://www.setbb.com/cheeseweb/
2
REVIEW: LEGIONS OF
MIDDLE-EARTH
The loyal members of Cheeseweb review the one of the
latest supplements produced by Games-Workshop.
A terrible shadow threatens to eclipse the realms of First of all, it details which army you should collect,
Middle-Earth. Sauron, the Lord of the Rings, seeks and why you should. This is very true, it tells you to
to dominate the world under a tyranny that will use ones which appeal to you, which I find is very
never end. Across hundreds of battlefields, minor true. Then it starts with the game.
skirmishes erupt into wars that will span many
lifetimes of Men and claim thousands of lives. From It details the steps to take to play a points match in
the desolation of Arnor and the eaves of Lothlorien, the game. It takes you slowly through the steps of
to the deserts of and the ash-choked wastes of creating an army, as well as a few handy reminders
Mordor, the legions of Middle-Earth do battle for and tips. It also gives you tips on building a themed
the fate of the world! list.
The Legions of Middle Earth
Then it details limits, most of which seem fine to
The Legions of Middle-Earth is an expansion to the me. OK, I think the model limits are a tad
Lord of the Rings Strategy Battle Game, and details restricting, but the bow and siege engine limits are
how to set up your force, using guidelines and needed. It also gives the first sample list, chosen
themed lists. It gives your examples of lists, and from the fairly basic ‘Gondor: The Tower of
how to make your games more enjoyable. Ecthelion’ list. It shows how they chose their heroes
and warriors.
Though it doesn’t contain any statlines, or narrative
(themed) scenarios, it contains a host of generic Then it comes to adding allies to a force, an
scenarios, 12 in all, and a terrain generator to ensure excellent idea. It also shows an allied force, with the
your board isn’t barren of previous list having 250 points of Rohan added on.
terrain.
The ally rules are not very limiting, but they restrict
bows to 33% from both forces. This is to stop
“The Dark Power, people taking advantage, taking Khazad Guard and
moving its armies Elven bowmen for example.
like pieces on a
board, was
gathering them
together.”
The Lord of the
Rings
First of all, when you first
pick up the book, you
notice its size. It is 128
pages long in all, which
makes for a thick book.
Though the cover is fairly
uninspiring, it introduces The Armies of Good
the book well.
The first set of lists in the manual are focuses
Unleash the Legions of Middle-earth! around the armies of good. This includes a wide
variety, from the power of the Fellowship to the
So the book begins. This section details how to Horse-Lords of Rohan. There are some forces that
build your army, the restrictions, and how to set up have a generic place in the time-scale, such as the
a battle. It details leaders, alliances, limits, and Minas Tirith force, but most are from the end of the
shows you two example armies. third age.
3
Some forces have special rules for their allies to other forces, with some very powerful
construction, such as The Grey Company and The heroes able to ally with most, which helps to lead to
Riders of Eorl. I think this helps to make the force some odd partnerships, such as the Balrog with the
more unique. Khandish Mercenaries.
It also gives a variety of sample lists, varying in size Scenarios
from 500 points to 1000 points, and all detailing
how they were chosen. There are many mistakes in As I have stated earlier, this book is supplemented
the army lists though; some break the 33% rule, by 12 generic scenarios, all with different objectives
whereas some calculate the points wrong. This does and styles of play. They can be randomly decided
not really take much away from them though. with rolls on a chart, or they can be chosen by the
player. Some seem very similar, but they have
Champions of Good interesting objectives. Few have special rules, but
the ones that do are made a lot better by them.
The scenarios are easy to use for points play, and
some are interesting, and offer a new way to play
the game, further influenced by:
Appendix One: Terrain Generators
The terrain generators give you the terrain to use on
the board by rolling a dice. I think it is a bit to much
to presume that people will have large amounts of
terrain to use it, but at tournaments organised by
Games-Workshop it should be usable. There are 7
lists of terrain, all with varying charts, this would be
The first set of mini-lists, the good side has several, very useful if I had the pieces, but as it is I will have
from the Wild Men of Drúadan Forest to the to stick with what I’ve got.
Guardians of the Carrock. Each list is designed as
an allied force, with some wandering heroes, or Appendix Two: Frequently Asked Questions
creatures that are part of no other force.
This section is small, but very useful. It details
The Eagles and the Wizards provide a stern backup queries the players have, which tell you more about
to a force, as will the Guardians of the Carrock how to enjoy the game.
when their rules come out. The Wild Men of
Drúadan forest should provide as nice bonus to a It also details why there are many statlines in here
force, and the Wanderers in the Wild add extra that are not released yet. This is due to the fact that
strength, with heroes such as Gildor and Glorfindel. they do not want the book to be obsolete when
another sourcebook comes out, but, judging by The
The Armies of Evil Two Towers, the Points Value in Legions of
Middle-earth will surely differ.
The evil forces have, if possible, a wider selection
of army types, ranging from the goblins of the Misty Final opinion
Mountains to the vile Uruk-hai of Isengard.
All in all, a pretty decent book. Useful for all
The evil side also have two forces that can ally with players, though unfortunately littered by mistakes.
all, which leads to some odd partnerships, but Many things are well thought through, but some
shouldn’t take away from the lists, unless will not be used regularly, such as the terrain
improperly used. There are many different forces generators, though if they were less restrictive (and
you could choose to use, and they have many I had the terrain pieces) I would love to use them.
different styles of play.
So, 7/10 for me. Not the greatest supplement I’ve
Again there are many army lists, some reaching seen, but a solid release by Games-Workshop.
1500 points in size. These are nicely illustrated and
set out, so you can see the groups of units chosen. Aratheking
The Champions of Evil Aratheking.
The Nazgûl and the Monsters of Middle-Earth are a
powerful ally to any evil force. They are taken as
4
REVIEW: THE TWO
TOWERS
Members of the Cheeseweb forum review the Two Towers journey book.
It also includes a lot of painting guides, clearly
“How shall any tower withstand such set out with step-by-step instructions and
numbers and such reckless hate?” pictures. It also gives general painting tips,
- The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers including layering and drybrushing.
I do like a good scenario. I much prefer 17. It also gives us a detailed painting guide for all
This journey book has more than lived up the the members of the Fellowship in Rohan,
bar set by the previous book, and it is a great focusing on certain parts of the model for each.
supplement, ideal for those who whish to
collect new armies, play new scenarios, or Then it gives a clear and detailed guide on
make new terrain. building hills, and using flock and paint on
terrain. It gives different types of Craggy hill,
The book is thick and expensive, but well and Fissures, which are needed in the later
worth the cost. The cover is well done, and scenarios.
draws you in nicely to read the book.
Scenario 1 - Lets Hunt Some Orc
The book starts of with descriptions of the This is a nice starter scenario, and features the
things found in three hunters trying to break through a small
it, from Uruk-hai scout forces, consisting of no heroes.
scenarios to They need to do it quickly, though there is
painting and little opposition.
terrain guides. It
then jumps I like this scenario; it has a nice introduction
straight into the feel to it, though it feels a bit unfair on the evil
first section: side, probably due to it being a linked
campaign.
The Treason of
Isengard After this it gives us painting guides for the
many heroes and warriors of Rohan. They do
This is by far the not have ant detailed guides, but they tell you
longest section, the paint colours they recommend that you use,
covering 8 which is very informative and simple to read.
scenarios,
ranging from the It then gives a guide on building a Rohan
journeys of the House, which looks very good and simple, and
remaining clearly laid out. It also gives us a nice
fellowship to the campfire, with flame.
Defence of Rohan.
5
Scenario 2 – The First Battle of the Fords of Thjs scenario is based on the film, though it is
Isen still fun. It’s always fun to have Warg Riders
fight Riders of Rohan, as you know that the
Forgive me for being too kind, but I have to fight will be close. Unless they have Aragorn,
say that the creators of this scenario are just Legolas and Gimli, that is.
using it as an excuse to kill Théodred as
brutally as possible. He must charge into the Scenario 7 – The Second Battle of the Fords of
thick of combat, he suffers penalties when Isen
being wounded, and he must be killed for the
evil side to win the fight. I wonder, will the Another battle on the river. Looks as good,
evil side just ignore him? with the good side having to survive for 10
turns against a greater force of evil, with the
But the scenario itself seems fun and it is advantage of the river. And there are some
heaped with special rules, which can’t be bad. flanking Warg Riders, of course, to add a bit
I like the way they show narrative scenarios more spice.
now, with a picture of the board.
Then we have a painting
Scenario 3 – The Scouring of the Westfold guide for Saruman and
Grima Wormtongue.
This scenario also looks fun, with houses to Saruman’s cloak gains a 5
burn down, which is never boring. It also step guide, very detailed,
introduces the Outriders, who come on in later and I wish I could do it so
as reinforcements. well.
Scenario 4 – The Wrath of Rohan Following on from this, we
have a nice guide for
Looks good, again, though I’ve seen a similar Orthanc scaffolds, very
scenario countless times before. Should be fun detailed and well made, with a fairly simple
though, as you have to get the puny hobbits guide.
into the forest before they are trampled on.
Scenario 8 – The Last March of the Ents
After this there are different examples of
painting Ents, as well as a modelling guide for Finally. I’ve wanted to see this scenario for
undergrowth and rough ground., both of which ages, and it looks as good as it should have
have step-by-step instructions to them, clearly done. A handful of Ents against a lot of Uruk-
laid out. hai and Orcs, with the objective of bashing
town a few structures, what’s there not to
Scenario 5 – Alone in Fangorn love? If I had the money to buy three Ents, I
would definitely play this scenario. As it is, I
This scenario, on first thoughts, looks a bit have to look at it and admire it.
easy for the good side. On second thoughts, it
looks very fun. The hobbits have to wake up a The Journey to Mordor
sleeping Ent without being caught by orcs or
uruk-hai. Simple. We now change to four scenarios covering the
journey of Frodo and Sam to Mordor,
I like the way you can choose to play the encountering Faramir and Sméagol on the
scenarios by the film or the book, making way.
alterations to change between them, such as
replacing the orcs with Grishnakh in this It starts of with painting guides of the main
scenario. good models, Frodo, Sam and Gollum. The
golum guide, especially, is very detailed, as is
Following this are a couple more painting the Frodo and Sam guides. Then, over the
guides, though I have seen the Warg one page, it gives a guide for painting Morgul
before, I can see why they have included it in Stalkers, which, in my opinion, look a bit odd.
this book as well. There is also a painting Then the guide for spectres, which is only
guide for the Warriors and Wildmen of really a guide for their skin.
Dunland.
It has a guide for Emyn Muil, and various
Scenario 6 – Warg Attack other rocky platforms, made solely of
polystyrene foam, stones and gravel.
6
Scenario 9 - The Taming of Sméagol
This is the smallest scenario in the book, but it
looks fun, Frodo and Sam having to subdue
Gollum.
“Where are they with my Precious?
Curse them! We hates them.”
Gollum, The Two Towers.
Then we have the painting guide for the
Scenario 12 – Osgiliath
Ringwraith on Fell Beast, very detailed and
well explained. It looks in detail at the whole
This scenario does not include any of the
Fell Beast, and gives the colours for the
fellowship, unless you are following the film,
Ringwraith.
which is good. It consists of orcs and the
defenders of Osgiliath fighting it out over the
Over the page it gives us a guide for building
ruined city, trying to claim buildings and
the Dead Marshes, which can also be used as
defeat their foe, while both forces replenish
general pieces of marshland. It also gives us a
their losses repeatedly.
small guide on using wet effect, to great water
in the marsh.
It is more interesting based on the film, with
Frodo and Sam fighting off a Nazgul, that is
Scenario 9 – The Passage of the Marshes
searching for the ring.
This is a bit added on by Games-Workshop,
The Battle of Helm’s Deep
but it looks a fun scenario, with Spectres using
their special rule to push Frodo into the
The third, and last, section of the campaign,
marshes. Frodo has to stay alive, if he doesn’t
detailing the battle of Helm’s Deep, against the
he will lose.
Uruk-hai and Dunlendings of Isengard. Each
scenario covers a certain bit of the action, with
Then it gives a painting fuide for the Mûmak
a final scenario for the whole thing.
and the Haradrim. It gives a very nice guide
for the Mûmak’s tusks and skin. It also gives a
It opens with a guide for painting Uruk-hai,
painting guide for Rangers of Gondor and
similar to the scouts but with more armour and
Osgiliath Veterans, the latter having a very
less cloth. Easily the most interesting bit of
similar armour guide to Warriors of Minas
this page is the guide for painting the White
Tirith.
Hand, which I have not seen before.
It also gives a guide for the ruins of Osgiliath,
Over the page is the guide for the Troll, the
like many I’ve seen before. It uses almost only
Ballista and the Battering Ram. The Siege
foamcard, a lot of it too, with quite a simple
Engines are surprisingly similar to Uruk-hai to
guide.
paint.
Scenario 11 – Ambush in Ithillien
Over the page are guides for the Elves and
Gandalf the White, who has a similar paint
Another version of this scenario, based on the
scheme to Saruman. On the next page there is
scene from the story of the ambush of the
a guide for the Deeping Wall, covering several
Southron armies by Faramir, and the capture of
pages, including a page on making a Breached
Frodo and Sam. It is nicely done, since it is a
Wall.
bit hard on the good side to make them face
the full force of Haradrim, they come on in
Scenario 13 – The Deeping Wall
waves. With Frodo and Sam in the thick of it.
The first of the Helm’s Deep scenarios, and
looks very good, the Uruks having to blow up
the wall via their demolition charges. In all the
Helms Deep scenarios there is an option to
play by the film, and add in some Elf Warriors.
7
Scenario 14 – Into the Breach you get several turns of pure fun. I want to
play this, but gathering Helm’s Deep together
This scenario looks fun, with a ton of evil stuff will push me a bit. Ah well.
pouring through the walls, with a handful of
denfenders to stop them. With Aragorn, of It then has a guide on linking the scenarios,
course. The defending force is large though, similar to the guide in the Fellowship of the
and can take on the Uruks in this battle. Ring, and the risk that your men might die. It
is well done and simple, so you can easily play
Following this is a guide for the Gatehouse, on from your last game.
similar to the walls, but with a gate (surprise!).
There is also a guide for the causeway, and Good Heroes and Warriors
raising Helm’s Deep onto a hill.
Finally, the stats! Firstly, we have 3 named
Scenario 15 – In the Shadow of the Hornburg Rohirric heroes, Erkenbrand, Hama and
Théodred, alongside the Outriders and
Don’t you love Aragorn and Gimli? Fighting Sméagol. Erkenbrand is a solid and strong
off a few dozen orcs and dunlendings, the two hero, with a nice special rule, as are Théodred
heroes have to defend the gate. Looks fun, and Hama. Outriders are mini-heroes, with one
looks very fun. Fate point, and 1 attack and wound.
Scenario 16 – Théoden Rides Out There are few new warriors, but the Osgiliath
Veterans have a nice rule, they gain a bonus
from Faramir or Boromir. There are also stats
for Ents, similar to Treebeard, without the
Might, Will and Fate.
Evil Heroes and Warriors
The Uruk-hai scouts get two more named
heroes, Ugluk, who leads the Uruk-hai from
Amon Hen, and Vrasku, with a double shot
crossbow. There are also captains for the
Dunlending Chieftains.
There are a lot of new evil warriors, namely
Similar to the scenario in Siege of Gondor, this the Isengard Troll, the Morgul Stalkers, the
scenario details Théoden’s suicidal charge out Spectres, the Feral Uruk-hai and the
of the walls, with Gandalf arriving behind, Dunlending Warriors. The Spectres have a
unbeknownst to the defenders. Looks fun, as very nice rule, and the Dunlendings are a solid
ever. force.
Then we have a guide for building a curved
Conclusion
wall, similar to the other sections but curved. It
then gives you a list of all the pieces you need That brings us to the end of the book, with a
to make Helms deep, and there is a lot. summary and a guide of the needed materials.
I have loved this book, from start to finish, it is
Scenario 17 – The Siege of Helms Deep well crafted and thought through. 9/10, great!
I do love a scenario that has 1500 points of Aratheking
models a side, and does a whole section of the
books in one go. And that is just what this one Aratheking
does. It details all the events in one chunk, and
8
CHEESEWEB MEMBERS:
TARANNOR
When Roleplaying on Cheeseweb, Tomdidiot becomes Tarannor
Tarannor, Lieutenant of the 4th Company (Man) Points: 20
F S D A W C M/W/F
Tarannor 4/4+ 4 7 1 1 4 1/ 1 / 1
Wargear
Tarannor carries a sword and a shield, and wears heavy armour. He may be given the following equipment
at an additional cost:
Horse . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6pts
Lance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1pt
Longbow . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2pts
Special Rules
I'm only a Lieutenant!!! Unless you have a captain of Minas Tirith in your force, Tarannor has no fate
(This represents the captain being dead and Tarannor taking temporary command).
Not the Commander. If you have any captains in your force, designate a Captain of Minas Tirith as
Tarannor's commanding officer. Unless the captain is killed, Tarranor may not call stand fast rolls. He may
only be mounted if this commander is mounted.
Two hands. Tarannor has only two hands, so he can not hold a shield and fire a bow at the same time. His
Defence is reduced to 6 if he uses the Longbow.
Tarannor, as the son of the Lord of Anorien, was accepted into officer school and after graduation, was
made a Lieutenant of the 4th Company of the 2nd Batalloin, Erelas Regiment.
Tarannor, Captain of Anorien (Man) Points: 70
F S D A W C M/W/F
Tarannor 5/3+ 4 7 2 2 5 2/ 2 / 2
Wargear
Tarannor, Captain of Anorien, carries a sword and a shield, and wears heavy armour. He may be given the
following equipment at an additional cost:
Horse . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10pts
Lance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5pts
Longbow . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5pts
Special Rules
Rather Lax. Tarannor does not believe in harsh discipline, and encourages his men on instead of ordering
them forward. As such, he commands the respect of his men. Tarannor has an 8"/20cm range on a stand
fast roll instead of 6"/14cm.
Two hands. Tarannor has only two hands, so he can not hold a shield and fire a bow at the same time. His
Defence is reduced to 6 if he uses the Longbow.
9
After Distinguishing himself, Tarranor was promoted to Captain of the 4th Company, and later to
command the 2nd Batallion. Tarranor proved a capable commander and led his men to many victories.
Tarannor, Field Commander (Man) Points: 90
F S D A W C M/W/F
Tarannor 5/3+ 4 7 2 2 5 3/ 2 / 3
Wargear
Tarannor, carries a sword and a shield and wears heavy armour. He may have the following items at an
additional cost:
Horse . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10pts
Lance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5pts
Longbow . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5pts
Special Rules
Shield Bash. If Tarranor wins his combat, he may roll another die before he rolls to wound. If he gets 4+
on that die, one of his opponents is knocked to the ground. If used on a cavalry model, the rider is thrown.
Might may be used to modify this roll. Tarannor may NOT use this when he is mounted.
Rather Lax. Tarannor does not believe in harsh discipline, and encourages his men on instead of ordering
them forward. As such, he commands the respect of his men. Tarannor has an 8"/20cm range on a stand
fast roll instead of 6"/14cm.
Two hands. Tarannor has only two hands, so he can not hold a shield and fire a bow at the same time. His
Defence is reduced to 6 if he uses the Longbow.
Tarranor, during the War of the Ring, was a highly respected Regimental Commander, though still an
excellent warrior. He commanded the 4th Anorien Guard Regiment during the war, and was present at
Minas Tirith, the Battle of the Pelennor Fields and the Black Gate.
Tarannor, Lord of Anorien (Man) Points: 120
F S D A W C M/W/F
Tarannor 6/3+ 4 7 3 3 6 3/ 3 / 3
Wargear
Tarannor, carries a sword and wears heavy armour. He can have the following items at an additional cost:
Horse . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10pts
Lance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5pts
Longbow . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5pts
The Standard of the House of Anorien. . . . . 5pts
Tarannor may have any of the above two plus the horse.
Standard of the house of Anarion. The Standard counts as a banner except it has a range of 6"/14cm and
every friendly unit in range recieves a +1 bonus to their fight value.
Special Rules
Shield Bash. If Tarranor wins his combat, he may roll another die before he rolls to wound. If he gets 4+
on that die, one of his opponents is knocked to the ground. If used on a cavalry model, the rider is thrown.
Might may be used to modify this roll. Tarannor may NOT use this when he is mounted.
Lord of Anorien. Tarranor comands great respect among GOndor's armies. As such, he has a Stand fast
Range of 12" among Men of Gondor.
Two hands. Tarannor has only two hands, so he can not hold a shield and fire a bow at the same time. His
Defence is reduced to 6 if he uses the Longbow.
10
SPECIAL EQUIPMENT:
CAPTAIN ALTHAMUS
Althamus is a mighty ranger, who has acquired many valuable
possessions over the years, some of which he carries in battle.
Note. The stats two issues ago can be used without any of this wargear, or can have some or most of it
bought for them.
The four prices correspond to the four sets of stats I have.
Manthuiel : 1/2/3/4
Captain Althamus' ancestral sword, handed down for many generations. It allows him to re-roll any natural
1s when roling to see who wins a combat.
Belt : 1/3/4/4
Crafted by Althamus in his early years as a ranger, this belt is a source of great fortitude for him. It allows
him to ignore the first failed courage test in the game (from whatever cause).
Bracers : 2/5/6/-
Gifted to Althamus when he first started fighting, these bracers allow the bearer to fire faster, and their
shots fly truer, and are said to have been made by the Dunedain in the far north. They allow the bearer to
re-roll a single failed to hit roll in the shooting phase per turn.
Ornate Dagger : -/-/2/2
A gift to Althamus from a friend in Minas Tirith, this dagger is of little use in a fight. However, it does
allow him to have a emergency weapon which can potentially turn the tide of combat. Once per game,
when Althamus wins a fight, he may re-roll all his dice to wound.
Quiver of arrows : -/-/3/-
Said to be originally from the leafy vales of Lorien, this quiver contains arrows which are straighter, truer,
fly further and penetrate deeper than all their counterparts. When equipped with this, Althamus benefits
from the Poisoned Arrows rule.
Horn : -/-/5/10
A gift from the south, Althamus received a large horn, of an oxen or bull, which allowed him to easily be
recognised on the battlefield. When bearing this horn, Althamus may once per game blow it in the combat
phase, counting as a banner to all friendly models within 6” radius.
Hide boots : -/-/5/5
Gifted by the elves of Mirkwood, these are boots made of the lightest material, but warm and waterproof
better than any material made by man. When in these, Althamus can move through difficult terrain with no
penalty.
Shadowmane : -/-/-/15
From a captain of Dol Amroth, Althamus received what was widely known as ‘the finest steed in Dol
Amroth’. Shadowmane has the stats of a normal steed, but as the Knights of Dol Amroth prize hardiness
and strength over speed, Shadowmane has +1S, D.
11
ARMY BUILDING: ROHAN
Phoenix expands his Rohan army building article.
The Ride of the Rohirrim
Phoenix updates his Rohan Army Building Article (Found in Issue 4) following the
release of The Two Towers Journey Supplement.
Erkenbrand, Captain of Rohan
Erkenbrand is a hero of Rohan, who, in the books, leads the
reinforcements alongside Gandalf the White to aid Théoden at Helm’s
Deep.
His great and heroic attributes are mostly covered in his profile.
Though many say that judging from his actions in the written trilogy,
he should have improved stats, they are that of a much-improved
Captain of Rohan, with a few notable exceptions. Erkenbrand wears
Heavy Armour like all of the named Rohirrim heroes, and also carries
a shield with him into battle, giving him a Defence of 7. He also has
more Might than a regular captain as well as a better Fighting ability.
For just 65 points, Erkenbrand is an able hero, able to lead your troops into chaotic battles
or smaller, ferocious skirmishes.
Erkenbrand should be given a Horse. He is an Expert Rider and this means he retains his
high Defence. By giving him this extra mobility, you can use his Might where it is most-
needed, whether to gain the upper-hand via a Heroic Action or to lend his weight in a
battle against a powerful enemy hero. He is also a good fighter, with a solid Fight Value
of 5, so he can beat the likes of Uruk-hai in most circumstances, and steal draws with
Uruk-hai captains. It is for this reason that his battlefield abilities are best utilised with
Erkenbrand leading from the fore. If you do decide to give him a mount (which is heavily
recommended) be sure to lend his support to any mounted troops you have.
His Horn of the Hammerhand rule allows him to give great aid to fellow Rohan warriors
and heroes. He can blow it at the beginning of any Fight phase, and all Rohan models on
the battlefield count as being within 3”/8cm of a Banner, which is useful when the
numbers are against you.
Háma, Captain of Rohan
Háma was a great warrior and loyal captain of Rohan, who
defended the gatehouse of Helm’s Deep from Saruman’s foul
Uruk-hai. Though it was here where he met his demise, he slew
many of the black-hearted beasts and his death inspired the
Rohirrim to victory.
Háma was respected by his followers and died a hero’s death.
Though he basically has the same stats as a Captain of Rohan, to
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represent his death, he has no Fate but a Defence of 6. He also has the Bodyguard rule,
meaning that he can protect Théoden during a battle without having to test for Courage
whilst the King is alive and on the table.Háma is a solid fighter, who is great to use as a
fringe hero. Though not necessarily the greatest hero of the Riddermark, for a mere 50
points, or 60 if you wish to give him the extra mobility a horse can bring, he is a great
buy for any Marshal of Rohan. By being an Expert Rider it would be 10 points well-spent
to give him a horse, too.
To get the most out of Háma, I recommend that you place him amongst your infantry. He
can use his Might to make some useful Heroic actions to take the initiative, or simply use
it to help terminate stronger troops that you will face, such as the Uruk-hai.
The Bodyguard rule he has means that he doesn’t have to test for Courage at all whilst
Théoden is alive and on the table, so if you are facing strong enemies who cause Terror,
he can go in alone to keep them busy or even keep them engaged long enough to destroy
them, such as draining down the will of the Nazgûl.
Háma is a great hero, but his major weakness is his lack of Fate. Though he has a strong
Defence to help keep enemies at bay, sooner or later he will succumb, especially if he
becomes surrounded.
Théodred, Heir of Rohan
A fierce lord of the Riddermark, Théodred was second Marshal
of Rohan and the Heir to the throne. He was a constant thorn in
Saruman’s side during the early stages of the War of the Ring,
before he finally met his doom at the Fords of the River Isen.
A commanding presence on and off the battlefield, Théodred is
a mighty warrior; a legend in his own right.
Théodred is a great warrior, more than able to hold his own in a
fight. His stats are not too dissimilar to those of Éomer, though
the noble son of the King has no Fate, but more Will. At 70
points, Théodred is a great threat to any enemy commander, and
they should seek to terminate him immediately; such is his great
reputation.
He is an Expert Rider, which allows him to carry a Shield whilst mounted. I strongly
recommend that he is given both a mount and a Shield, due to his lack of Fate. The
increased Defence would rise to 7, making it even more difficult for your enemy to take
him out.
He is best deployed where his mighty combat abilities are most effective; on the front-
line. In larger battles, Théodred will most likely be your biggest attacking threat, so it is
best for him to head straight towards the biggest and most dangerous enemy he can find.
If you decide, however, to field him without a mount, the lack of mobility will mean that
it is best if he sticks close to a group of Warriors of Rohan, or that you assign several
Rohan Royal Guard. His 3 Might points are basically worthless if he is alone and without
aid, should you require to take the initiative by making a Heroic Action.
His lack of Fate means that’s sooner or later he will bite the dust, but until that point you
should simply throw him into the lion’s den and watch him battle his way through to the
exit.
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Rohan Outriders
The most-feared of Rohan’s troops, the Outriders
were scouts amongst the Rohirric soldiery who
were famed for their skill in archery.
Though few in number, these brave men often
scattered beleaguered enemy troops with hails of
Bowfire, leaving their force confused and
unprepared.
The Rohan Outriders are basically Warriors of
Rohan with extra skill in Bowfire. With a
Shooting value of 3+, they are able to take down a
fair few enemies before they are taken out
themselves. Their Defence is just 4, and since they can take no Shields, they are gifted a
single point of Fate which will be used sooner than most Rohan generals would like.
They can, however, make use of their one special rule, by taking a horse for 5 points.
They are Expert Riders, and if they kill an enemy who carries a shield they can take it
and still get the bonus for the shield even whilst mounted. For a combined 15 points, they
cost the same as Riders of Rohan with Throwing Spears, and you should field them
amongst your cavalry. If you wish, you could replace some of your Riders of Rohan with
Outriders, as they are similar cost and their improved archery skills would be a great asset
from horseback.
Best placed amongst your cavalry, or with your most-powerful hero if you chose not to
mount them (which is seriously recommended), the Outriders can run rings around your
opponent whilst shooting them to death. Even if you fail to kill any troops with the
Bowfire, your opponent will be forced to change their battle lines to deal with the deadly
hail of arrows.
Tactician’s Note: I hope you find this update helpful when choosing which models to
field in your army and how to utilise them to the best of their ability.
Happy Gaming,
Phoenix
Phoenix, Resident Cheeseweb Rohan Army Expert
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Cheeseweb Newsletter
Well, the past month on Cheeseweb has been a fantastic one for the community. Records
have been broken, new members have arrived and old ones return. No only that, but a
special Cheeseweb Party, albeit not as successful as hoped, was called for in response to
Captain Althamus and Phoenix passing 5000 posts, as well as several members
celebrating their birthday. Not only that, but we have smashed a record of 12 members
online at anyone time, and now stands at 31 members online.
The activity on the forum has increased dramatically, and some 8000 replies have been
posted over the month, with posts-per-day averaging near the 100 mark with ease. Many
new members have also joined, numbering half a dozen, and some more familiar faces,
such as that of Glorond and Captain Baranor have also returned, which is a sight
welcomed by all. Long-lost member Mardat has also returned, though we still await his
full activity.
Phoenix, who has become Temporary Moderator whilst Raddy is away, has started a cult
on the forums. His fairly-popular ‘The Great Wanderers’ series, a small company of
Cheeseweb members who set off to aid the Fellowship has sparked a return (pun
intended) of many old Fantasy Fellowships and Battle Companies, in particular that of
Saviour and Aratheking’s Cheeseweb Fellowship. In addition, Aratheking’s Neldur
supplement has taken off with nearly seven new articles during the month.
Away from the forum, the month has been a great one for The Lord of the Rings Strategy
Battle Game. The upcoming expansion book; Legions of Middle-earth, was released
along with the new journey sourcebook for The Two Towers, which continues the story
of the book. Some new beautiful models have been created, such as Erkenbrand and the
Morgul Stalkers, as well as the awesome Isengard Troll. Though not thematically correct,
the Troll is a well-liked figure by those with a bit of imagination.
Legions of Middle-earth is an expansion to the One Rulebook, making it an essential buy
for newcomers and veterans alike, whilst The Two Towers is truly a great buy for those
who wish to fight out the story from the books, rather than that of the film.
It has been an honour to write this newsletter!
Bye, or as they say in the Czech Republic:
‘vedlejší věc!’
Glorf
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